Biggest pitfalls in public relations and how to avoid them

Tracy Williams, CEO and president of Olmstead Williams Communications, explains some of the biggest pitfalls in public relations and how to avoid them in the latest edition of the syndicated column “Solve Anything with Dr. Mark” for Tribune Media Services.
“We’re not about making people famous for its own sake. We’re about making our clients so much money, that our fees are insignificant compared to the results they achieve through using us,” Williams tells Dr. Mark Goulston, M.D. “We get hired because a company is paying big monthly PR bills to a big agency with no results.”
Williams shares tips such as focus on brief, personalized pitches for specific reporters rather than news releases.
“No top-tier media outlet is going to run your news release anyway,” Williams says. “They have to write their own story, which is why they call them reporters. Let them do their job.”
Other tips: Keep your crisis communications plan simple. You’ll save money, and be more likely to achieve a plan that really works when time is most critical if you simply outline the spokesperson and key contact info. And, don’t forget social media.
“Social media is part of an overall public relations campaign, and any PR firm you talk to should have this expertise in 2011,” Williams says.